School News

The America Psychological Association (APA) has reaccredited the Adler Community Health Services’ (ACHS) Adler Community Mental Health Predoctoral Internship Program in Clinical Psychology for the next seven years, the maximum period allowed by the organization.

“This accomplishment reflects not just the quality of the Adler Community Health Services internship program in community mental health, but the overall quality of the clinical psychology program here at the Adler School,” said Dan Barnes, Ph.D., director of ACHS.

ACHS and its internship program provide underserved populations with psychological services and prepare ACHS interns for becoming clinical psychologists. Through ACHS’ partnerships with agency sites through the metropolitan Chicago region, interns gain hands-on experience in this important step to becoming a licensed psychologist by providing clinical psychological services to children, adolescents, adults, and families of underserved communities in the areas of depression, anxiety, school adjustments, family conflict, grief and loss, partner distress, and substance abuse. 

The ACHS internship program first received APA accreditation in 2005, the first year the ACHS applied. At that time, the program was accredited for five years, a “significant accomplishment,” for a first time applicant, Barnes said. The program is also a fully affiliated program, allowing only Adler School students to occupy the five full-time internships and one part-time internship it offers at its community partner sites. Interns leave the program proficient in clinical intervention, assessment, multicultural issues, professional development, ethical conduct within the profession, and other areas. In addition to their work at internship sites, interns also receive training from ACHS’ core training team of staff psychologists, and the director of clinical training, all of are licensed psychologist in the state of Illinois.

Adler School of Professional Psychology has provided quality education through a scholar/practitioner model for more than 50 years. Its mission is to continue the pioneering work of Alfred Adler by graduating socially responsible practitioners, engaging communities, and advancing social justice. The Adler School has 11 graduate-level programs enrolling more than 1,000 students at its campuses in Chicago and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Contact:
Kim McCullough
Director of Communications
Adler School of Professional Psychology
312-662-4124
kmccullough@adler.edu